Stormy and Grey
by mothersonfessor
Summary: A late night of homework leads to a collision that changes Hermione's life


**A/N**

 **Hello fellow Fanfic Readers!**

 **So this is my first story ever on this site. I wrote it a while back, as a practice piece for English, but loved it so much that I decided to share it.**

 **So yeah, please read and review, and sorry if there's any errors!**

Shit! Not again. Hermione had missed breakfast for the third time this week. Her studies had her busy and she had been working till the early hours of the morning almost everyday this week. Only ten minutes before her fist class of the day. After brushing her teeth and taking a quick shower, she threw on her uniform and sprinted to Charms.

Hermione arrived at the lab ,just as the ringing bell died out, and flung the door open. Everyone's heads snapped up and looked at her. The teacher didn't seem to notice and so they all went back to unpacking their books or resumed flipping through their textbooks. As Hermione made her way to her seat, she didn't notice the pair of stormy grey eyes that gazed after her, watching as she carefully as she unpacked her books and grabbed her infamous quill and dipped it into the ink bottle, ready to take notes...

Her busy day came and went, with no free periods today and back to back double lessons. Lunch had been skipped too and Hermione felt that she might collapse if she didn't get to Dinner in time. She hurriedly made her way into the Great Hall, taking a seat at her House table across from her two friends: Harry and Ron. They were so deep in conversation that they were not even aware of her arrival, let alone her feeble attempt to cover her hunger as she immediately grabbed a few chicken drumsticks and scoffed them down.

The night continued with general conversation and more scoffing of chicken, occasionally accompanied by a slurp or two of their drinks. Whilst talking to her one friend Ginny, Hermione noticed a pair of stormy grey eyes looking her way, but when she went to look for them properly, they disappeared.

Once dinner was over, Hermione bid goodnight to her friends and headed up to her dorm, only remembering halfway there that she needed to do some research in the library. She changed course and headed there instead, the thought of a goodnight's rest slipping from her mind.

When she finally completed all her essays and the research papers that were due for the next few days, she looked up at the grand clock that hung in the middle of the library from the ceiling.

1:00 AM! Hermione hadn't realized it was that late! She shoved all her papers into her file and stuffed it into her bag as she exited her private section of the library. This area was the only place that Emma could be left alone because hardly anyone ever ventured towards the old section of the library, seeing as the books were outdated and that it always smelled musky. Hermione had grown to like the smell and found that many of the books had information that was still relevant today. It had become her place is solitude. Finally getting her bag closed, she slung it over her shoulder and broke into a light jog, turning down a left corridor that she often used as a shortcut to get to her dorm. As she was taking the next left, she crashed into something and toppled to the floor, her bag landing with a loud bang as it slipped off her shoulder. Before she could properly gather her senses, a strong hand grabbed onto her upper arm and pulled her behind one of the massive tapestries that hung on the wall, bringing her bag along with her. She was about to open her mouth to protest just as another strong hand clamped her mouth shut. She could feel herself being pressed against the other person, her back to the wall behind the tapestry, their's to the back of the tapestry. They were pressed up hard against each other. So close that Hermione could feel the skin of the persons neck hovering mere centimeters away from her nose. She breathed in their smell. Parchment, ink and a musky, masculine scent. It was so strong that she thought it might make her dizzy. Short, hot breathing fluttered the hair at the top of her head. She glanced up and was met with eyes that glinted with fear. The person was tense, afraid of something. She listened intently, trying to hear what exactly was coming, if anything. And then she heard footsteps, but not just any footsteps. They were the signature shuffle of her most difficult teacher. The one who always tried to prove her wrong and had a prejudice against her because of the house she was assigned to when she started this school. Professor Snape. Hermione held her breath, fearing that he might hear it. The shuffling stopped. There was silence for a few agonizingly long seconds, and then the shuffling started again, fading down the corridor and off into the castle. The hot body that was pressed against her relaxed and slowly dragged them out from behind the tapestry. They let go of her and stepped away, the air suddenly becoming cold. A hand held out her bag and she hesitantly accepted it.

"Are you alright?"

That voice. I know that voice!

"Why do you care?"

"Really Granger?"

"What did you expect from me?"

"Never mind."

He began to walk away. What was he concerned about, asking whether or not she was okay? And then, why did he resign so quickly without even attempting to pick a fight, as he usually would?Something was off, and Hermione had to know what.

"Wait!"

He stopped and half turned back, looking over his shoulder. His blond hair caught the moonlight and it illuminated his stormy grey eyes. They looked worn.

"I'm sorry", Hermione continued," I didn't mean to lash out, it's just that I was a bit frazzled and I-I'm sorry."

He slowly walked back to her, his well-known gait gliding towards her. He stopped a few feet away, shoulders slightly hunched, his usual demeaning posture not present.

"It's okay Granger, hardly need to apologize. After all, what else could I have expected from you?"

His words cut through the air, leaving cracks for the memories to gush out of, reminding both of them about their past: His constant remarks towards her, her lost tears she shed over them. All these years it had been like that. Except that the crying had stopped, quickly replaced by dismissal. His words had made Hermione strong, the opposite of their intended purpose.

"We're old enough to to get past that, don't you think?" Hermione suggested.

"Yeah, it was getting a bit boring, wasn't it?" He replied with that signature smirk of his," I guess that I only continued because after the first two years, people kind of expected me to, considering the rivalry between our houses, you know."

Hermione didn't say anything. What was she supposed to say? She had never thought of it that way, had she? She had always thought that he did it because he wanted to, because he liked to. But now, here he was confessing the truth, confessing that he only did it because they was what was expected of him. A wave of shame suddenly swept over her as she thought about all the mean remarks she had said back to him, meaning every word. She had hated him for years on end. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

"Say, do you want to go somewhere? I can't sleep so I was going for a walk. Would you care to join me?" The question was asked with sincerity. It was genuine. Hermione couldn't help but notice a change in his voice, the way it was softer and gentler than his usual harsh tone. She looked into his eyes, searching for her answer to his question. Then she saw it. Those stormy grey eyes were filled with pain and confusion. They looked lost. They were pleading her to come. How could she resist?

They ended up in the Astronomy tower, leaning over the large railing at the balcony and gazing up at the stars. They hadn't spoken a word to each other all the way to the tower, fearing that someone might hear them and find them. But now, here in the silence that layer between them, the cool air softly breezing past, Hermione felt somewhat comfortable, which oddly didn't surprise her in the least. She finally decided to break the silence.

"So, Malfoy-"

"Call me Draco."

"Alright, Draco", the name felt strange as it rolled off her tongue," why are we here anyway?"

He didn't reply immediately, instead he looked out into the night, almost as if her were searching for the answer.

" I don't really know...I haven't been able to sleep at all since the start of term. Somehow I always find myself coming here and just staring out, looking for something...i don't know what it is, but I know that I'm missing something and I need to find it. I don't know if you understand."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but she clamped it shut. She couldn't believe it. She had spent most of her nights in the library completing work that wasn't due for weeks, trying to ignore the horrible feeling that she, too, was missing something. She hadn't wanted to spend time thinking about it because she knew it would only make her feel more lonely. Was it possible that Tom Felton, of all people, felt the same?

And then, Hermione did something unexpected. She reached over and hugged him. At first he didn't respond, but then his arms snaked around her waist and he hugged her back. They remained like that for a while, silently enjoying the comfort of each other, and knowing that they both felt the same.

They spent almost every night together, sitting out onto the balcony of the Astronomy tower, talking to each other. Hermione never knew that Draco was such an intelligent being. She had been so caught up with being the best student of her year that she hadn't noticed who was just behind her. Draco was second best in their year, always missing beating her being a fraction of a percentage. He loved soccer and he played the guitar. Draco loved his father, even though he was tremendously tough on Draco, and he was overprotective of his mother. And then, surprising her even further, he loved the same series of books as her! But he still was as hard and cold as ever, his signature brooding look never faltering. But his grey eyes were different...every time he looked at her...and she wasn't sure why.

They had grown to enjoy each other's company, despite the occasional argument that arose whenever Draco's sarcastic remarks couldn't help themselves. Spending time together was something they had both started to look forward to, and they never missed a day. It was their little secret.

Three months after their first night there, Hermione found herself climbing the stairs to their secret sanctuary well after midnight. She climbed the last step and her gaze fell upon a ghastly scene: Draco sat in the middle of the balcony, his back leaning against the railing, and an empty bottle of Ogden's finest whiskey in his right hand. His face was pale and ashen, heavy bags hung under his eyes. They seemed to have lost their stormy fire, instead they looked empty. They looked like death had washed over them and had sucked the soul right out of them. They looked...broken. It sent a shiver up Hermione's spine, her flesh standing on end. She rushed over to him and knelt in front of him, cautiously reaching out with one hand to touch his face. It was cold.

"Draco? Are you alright? What happened, Draco?"

He didn't respond. He just kept starting down at a spot on the floor I front of him. She cupped a hand around his face and gently lifted his face, trying to meet his empty eyes' gaze.

"Draco? I'm here. It's me, Hermione. I'm here."

The words seemed to click into place in his mind and a flicker of recognition streaked across his stormy grey eyes. His eyes moved, searching for her. They found her eyes and locked with her gaze. His left hand lifted and reached for her face, trailing a finger down from her temple to her jawline, finally coming to a stop at her chin.

"They're gone." His voice was strangled. "It's over, they're gone..." He looked away.

"Who?"

"My Parents...they're gone...forever."

"What happened to them Draco?"

"They're just... gone..." His voice was so distant, so far away.

Hermione knew not to push further. So she just hugged him, trying to bring him back to her, holding him in her arms as he finally caved in and cried into her shirt. He eventually fell asleep there, and she too with him.

Draco awoke the next morning when a bright shaft of light fell upon his eyes, disturbing his sleep. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around. It was early morning, the sun was just starting to rise. The cool morning air felt good on his skin, it was crisp and fresh. It almost made him forget...

He suddenly remembered the nights events and looked down. There, sprawled over his body, with a mass of golden-brown hair that was tangled in his hands, lay Hermione. Her face gently illuminated by the rising sun. She looked so peaceful. So beautiful...he could no longer deny it. Her big, amber filled eyes that held a raging fire of curiosity, her bushy hair that smelled like cinnamon, the freckles that covered her nose, her rosy, bow-shaped lips...he was utterly in love with her, wasn't he? He'd known for months but always tried to cover it up, deny it, saying that he had just been lonely for a very long time and that anything could have sparked his interest. But no, it was true. He just knew it now. Seeing her lying here, in his arms. There was no denying it anymore. She was the only thing in the world that could help him forget, that could help him move on. He needed her. He finally let himself admit it: He, Draco Malfoy, was utterly and hopelessly in love with Hermione Granger.

Hermione stirred in his arms, rubbing at her eyes. She gently pushed herself up and looked around. She had fallen asleep on the balcony with Draco! What time was it? Oh crap! I didn't finish my History paper and it's due tomorrow! Wait, Draco! Is he okay? Where is-

Her eyes found his in the early morning light. It halted all her thoughts. She studied them, curious as to what was different about them. They looked different, didn't they? Yes, they were...calm, peaceful, no longer stormy and raging with fire. He slowly reached out and touched the side of her face. She felt her breathing quicken. His thumb stroked her cheek, moving down along it, tracing her lips. As if in slow motion, he leaned forward, drawing her closer to him at the same time. He stopped just before the noses could touch, tilting his head forward so that their foreheads touched.

"Good morning", he whispered.

"Morning", Hermione replied, her voice soft. She held his gaze.

"Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?" Draco didn't even realize that it was him that had spoken, the words had just ventured out of his mouth.

"W-What?"

Oh well there's no going back on my words now. Just wing it.

"Draco, what about-"

"Yeah," Draco continued, he didn't want to talk about his parents just yet, he didn't want to ruin the moment, " you're beautiful."

She didn't say anything, her eyes were just filled with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

So Draco continued,"...And you're more than that, you're smart, and funny, and you get angry when things don't go your way. You like being in control and you love thunderstorms but hate thunder. You overwork yourself because you feel that you need to prove something to people. You're difficult, yes, but I I think that even so, you're just amazing. Any guy would be lucky to have you and...and...I just..."

His eyes betrayed his composure as the were now swimming with emotion. She could see what he was trying to tell her.

"You what?"

He was so close. His eyes found her again, their storm was gone. They were still, determined. And then a flicker of lust flashed through them. Hermione felt her breath hitch in her throat. Could this really be happening?

And then time slowed. Draco leaned in and closed the distance between their lips and softly planted his lips over hers, covering them. His lips were so soft, so unexpected. She felt hers move of their own accord and return the kiss just as softly. Her arms circled around his neck and pulled him closer. He responded to it and his one hand slipped around her waist, the other still cupping her face, and he pulled her body into his. Their kiss became more urgent and their lips danced together. The hand on her back trailed up her spine, causing her to open her mouth in surprise. He broke their kiss and pulled back, their foreheads touching once more.

Hermione tried to regain her breath, but it was taken away once more when she looked back into his eyes. Those beautiful, stormy grey eyes that were now filled with an emotion that words couldn't describe but she knew exactly what they meant. And she felt the same. She had never felt so safe before. She kissed him then, again, but this time is was just a brush of their lips. She looked into his eyes once more and she told him with hers that she wanted this, she wanted him, and that everything would be alright, because together they could face anything that came their way. She told him that he was her world.

And then...his eyes smiled...


End file.
